Someone to Watch Over Me
by nubesdelchocolate
Summary: Rayne, River is pregnant, but now she has to explain both the baby AND the father.
1. Chapter 1

**Someone to Watch Over Me**

**PART 1**

River lifted her head and rested her chin on Jayne's chest. She lay sprawled on top of him, having just recovered from an amazing amount of sex. "Jayne?"

"Hmmm?"

"There's a new voice inside me."

Jayne threw an arm behind his head to prop it up so he could look down at her. "What the hell does that mean?"

River wrinkled her nose, "I'm not sure, I was hoping you could figure it out."

"Are you goin' crazy again? Miranda the sequel?"

"No, it does not feel dead."

"Are you sure it's no one on the ship?"

"Oh yes, I know everyone very well, their real voices and their mind voices, this one is definitely new."

"Is it bad? You're not hearin' reavers are you?"

"No, no, shhh, don't worry," she stroked his chest, which always calmed him. "It feels . . . pure, innocent, different than anything I've felt before."

"Pure and innocent, huh? That don't sound too bad, maybe Kaylee smuggled a kitten on board."

River smiled a bit at that. "I don't know, maybe it's connected to the new medicine Simon put me on."

Jayne growled, "_More_ medicine? That boy sure does have a one track mind."

"Says the boy who is stroking my breast during a serious conversation."

"Huh, sorry, baby, I didn't even realize I was doing it."

River smiled and leaned forward to give him a kiss, "It's ok, it's soothing. But anyway, not _more_ medicine, _new_ medicine, he replaced the old one because it was making me throw up so much. This one is better."

"I guess. I just don't like that he keeps pumpin' ya full of drugs. I mean he kept you on the one that made you throw up for months."

"I know, but trust me, he wants what is best for me."

"Then, can we tell him about us?"

"No, he will have a very hard time understanding that this is what is best for me."

Jayne sighed, but didn't push, "So, what's this new voice sayin'?"

"It gives me advice, helps me get my words out clearly, and it makes me feel loved, as much as you do, but in a different way."

"Hmmm, sounds like a guardian angel."

River was silent for a moment and then she grinned, "I like that! Even though it is impractical and unsubstantiated, until I find out what it is, I'll call it my guardian angel."

"Ya, just let me know if it gives you any advice on butcher's knives."

River smacked him and let her head drop back down on his chest. Heavenly help aside, Jayne would never let anything happen to her. She felt safe and warm as she drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Someone to Watch Over Me**

**PART 2**

Weeks passed and Jayne forgot all about River's "new voice." Meanwhile, River just grew more and more used to it. She'd tell it stories while alone on the bridge because it didn't take long for her to realize that if she could hear it, it could hear her.

She asked if it was her guardian angel one day, but the only response she got was, "I don't know, am I?" And River hadn't asked again.

She never told anyone else about it, worried that they would think she was crazy again. The voice was sweet and loving and never encouraged her to do anything bad. What harm was it doing even if it turned out it was just a figment of her mind?

She thought maybe it was her conscience. She knew that no one else had conversations with theirs, but then she had never met anyone as smart as she was and who knew what the academy had done to her. So, she simply accepted that it was there and continued on as normal.

She never would have told anyone, but then Simon decided to change her medication again. It had only been a month and a half since the last change, but the current medication, instead of making her throw up, caused her appetite to double, even triple, and she was gaining weight at a surprising rate.

River blamed the voice partly, it always seemed to have such great suggestions for food, new combinations she had never tried and couldn't get enough of.

But Simon thought the weight gain was unhealthy for someone who had always been naturally skinny.

River didn't mind. At first she had worried that Jayne wouldn't like her anymore, but when she had asked, he had just shrugged, replied honestly that he hadn't noticed, she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, and then said with a leering grin that there would just be more for him to explore. She'd gotten in the bed and under his lips in three seconds flat.

But Simon dragged her to the infirmary and announced that he was going to change some of the meds to try to balance her metabolism.

Without thinking, River screamed out, "No! You might silence the voice!!"

Instantly, Simon focused completely on River. She had been so coherent for so long, but that statement smacked of pre-Miranda days. "Your voice? What voice?"

"THE voice, oh Simon you can't silence it, it loves me and I love it!"

"It? What is it?"

River tried to control the tears falling down her face, "I . . . I don't know, it's just always there, it helps me, keeps me company, _please_ Simon, if you change the meds, it might go away!"

And with that River collapsed onto the bed. She wanted to go out to the common room where she knew Jayne was hiding just around the corner. He had been lifting weights in the bay when he had been drawn by her cries to the infirmary.

River cursed herself. It was her own fault she couldn't openly be with him. She had been afraid to tell everyone, afraid they would take away the thing she loved most.

Now, she was forced to stand up to Simon alone while he tried to take away the thing she loved most after Jayne. A small part of her brain told her that she was falling to pieces over a voice and that she loved it more than her beloved brother who had rescued her from horror. Her brain screamed that this would not help her sanity case.

Simon looked overwhelmed. He didn't know what to do and he faced a fear that he hadn't felt for so long: that she was irreparably crazy.

"No! I'm not crazy! I swear Simon, it helps me, I think it could be my conscience, please, just give me time, I can't convince you when I'm like this, just give me a few minutes, please."

"Alright, it's ok, just take your time, I'll go get you some water, ok?"

"Thank you." Simon rushed out and up the stairs to the mess.

River sat up and called softly, "Jayne?"

He rounded the corner and rushed to her side, gathering her into his arms. "Baby, you didn't tell me you still heard that voice."

"I'm sorry, I was worried that I was crazy and then I decided I didn't care. I love it, Jayne, I don't even know what it is, and I love it." She shuddered into his shoulder.

"Oh, baby, shhh, shhh, I don't care if you are crazy, but remember I don't think you are. Now, you said so yourself, you need to calm down, you need to have a talk with the doc and he won't see through the emotion, you got to explain it to him in that cold clinical fancified speech that he loves so much. Ok?"

"Yes, thank you, my Bluejay, now kiss me and go back to the corner, Simon's coming."

Jayne gave her a short, but deep, kiss, touched her cheek gently and went back to stand out of sight as Simon came back down the stairs.

Simon walked into the room relieved that River had gotten some of her control back. "Here, mei mei," as he handed her the waterglass.

She took a big gulp before looking Simon straight in the eyes, "I'm alright and I'm ready to discuss the matter at hand."

She put the glass aside, sat up straight, crossed her ankles and laid her hands, lightly clasped, on her lap. Simon would have laughed if he hadn't been so worried. Her posture perfectly mirrored their mother's when she had had something important to discuss.

"Ok, let's go through things slowly. When did the voice start talking?"

"A month and a half ago, when you changed my medication."

"What was going on before that?" He had grabbed a pad and was taking notes in full doctor mode.

"Before that I was on the medication that made me throw up for about three months."

"Yes, I know that, I meant emotionally."

"I was happy, I'm still happy, Serenity is home now." River's grin was infectious and Simon smiled back at her for a moment before going back to his notes.

"Tell me about this voice."

"It's good, I swear it, it feels pure and innocent, it doesn't feel anything like the voices of the dead."

"You said something about a conscience?"

"Well, it helps me make good decisions, isn't a conscience supposed to do that? There's also the theory that it's my guardian angel." Around the corner Jayne smiled.

"Alright, so you listen to it, do you talk to it?"

"Yes, I tell it stories sometimes and about the crew."

"Does it respond?"

"Oh, yes, it asks questions, it's so curious about the world."

When an apprehensive look passed over Simon's face River continued quickly, "I'm not explaining it well, although I can't explain it better. It sounds suspicious, but it isn't. It has no malice and it does not interrogate."

Simon relaxed a bit, "Ok, let's go back to the physical. Are there any other side effects of the new meds?"

"I've gained weight and I'm often tired."

"Emotionally?"

"Like I said, I'm happy."

"Well you did have a passionate outburst before, if it's not psychoses or medication, perhaps it is hormones, when was you last period?"

_Ta me da_, River thought,_ How can I tell Simon that I've been on the birth control shot for eight months?_

"River?" Simon leaned forward as River bit her lip and looked away.

River sighed, "Eight months ago."

"What? Why didn't you tell me? You're supposed to say something if there's a large change– "

"Simon stop!" He sat back and crossed his arms, waiting. "I haven't had it because eight months ago I got the birth control shot."

Simon gaped, "Are you sexually active?"

River fought to keep a sloppy grin off her face as she thought about the two times last night and the quickie this morning when she had grabbed Jayne and pulled him behind some crates in the bay. _Active_ didn't quite cut it.

River gained control of her facial muscles and said calmly, "Yes."

She expected him to explode and demand to know who it was, but instead he was frantically flipping through his notes.

"Oh god." He whispered before jumping up and running over to the counter. A urine sample he had taken from River earlier sat there. He put some into a petri dish and grabbed a bottle from the overhead cabinet. Opening it, he dripped some liquid into the dish.

"Simon?" River called uncertainly, she didn't know what was going on, all she could feel was his panic.

He didn't respond, he just stood over the dish, watching the chemicals react, his shoulders tense and his fists clenched on the counter.

A few moments later Simon dropped his head to his chest and said without turning around, "Mei mei, I didn't know you had gotten the shot, so I didn't take the extra medication into account when prescribing more. The drugs I gave you four and a half months ago made your shot useless. River," Simon turned around and met her eyes. "You're pregnant."

AN: Duh duh duh. Heehee, not really, since some have already guessed it and this wasn't really supposed to be a big ole' mystery story. In fact, the first 5 parts are linear, but the rest (9 total, plus sequels) are flash of life stories. However, I do have a real reason for setting it up like this (besides making me happy, dance little puppets dance!). Thank you thank you thank you to my reviewers, love you all!


	3. Chapter 3

**Someone to Watch Over Me**

**PART 3**

"What?" River managed to finally squeak out.

"You're pregnant, four and a half months along I assume. And the voice, I think, oh god, I think you've been talking to your baby."

River clutched her belly. _Baby?_ She thought.

_Hmmm, this is more logical than the conscience and angel theories_, the voice responded.

Then River noticed the wave of jumbled emotions hitting her from around the corner. "If you don't get in here this instant I'll squeeze your balls so hard they'll fall off."

Simon's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at who she was talking to and then shot up when Jayne practically ran into the room and scooped River up in a crushing hug. River clutched him just as tightly.

Then a voice extremely muffled by Jayne's shoulder said, "A baby! Oh Jayne, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Jayne ran soothing hands up and down her back. "Hey, hey, shh, shh now, no apologizin', ain't your fault. Now, I can't say I ever planned on having youngins, but I'd be lyin' if I said I wasn't thrilled that you're the one that's havin' it."

River looked up at him, "Really?"

"Of course, really, just look."

River stared into his eyes for a moment and, obviously liking what she found in his head, slammed her mouth on his for a deep kiss.

Simon's choked gurgling sound brought them back to reality. River turned and looked over at Simon. She couldn't stop the giggle that escaped at seeing his shock.

"You think this is funny, River?"

"No, _this_ is not funny, your face is."

"Mei mei, you're with Jayne, you're," Simon swallowed heavily, "having his baby."

River looked more serious, "Yes, I am, but remember when I said I'm happy, that Serenity is home, a home I've always wanted and never had? Jayne's a huge and essential part of that, so Simon, try for me, please?"

Simon sent a calculating look at Jayne, who hadn't released River yet. "Are you really happy and ok about this?"

"Ya, and I know you'll be harder to convince 'cause you're not a mind reader, but River sees it, she sees I love her and she knows I'm not lying." River nodded enthusiastically.

"Will you take care of her and the baby?"

"Well, since you seem to have trouble keepin' this in mind, I'll remind you that she can take care of herself." River gave him a kiss on the cheek for that, "And yes, I'll take care of her when she lets me, take care of the baby always, and love them both forever, I ain't going nowhere."

That declaration got him a big kiss on the lips from River and a grudging look of respect from Simon.

"Happy?" Simon tried one more time.

"Happy," River responded firmly.

Simon sighed and said, "Then I'll do my best to be happy too . . . just. . . . stop kissing in front of me, ok?"

Jayne laughed and scooped River off the table and into his arms, "Hear that baby? We're gonna have to take the celebration elsewhere."

River laughed and threw her arms around his neck. They were almost to River's room when Simon's voice made them stop and turn.

"River? When will you tell the others?"

"Dinnertime is soon enough."

And with that Jayne stepped into her room, River reaching out to slide the door shut behind them. Simon retreated quickly to other parts of the ship, escaping before River's giggles turned to other sounds.

* * *

AN: Thanks so much for my reviews, they make me so happy! Next chapter, the rest of the crew!


	4. Chapter 4

**Someone to Watch Over Me**

**PART 4**

Simon walked into the engine room and collapsed into the hammock. He could see Kaylee's legs sticking out from under the engine and hear her cheerful whistle. She scooted out and was reaching over for a tool when the hammock's movement caught her eye.

"Simon!" she gasped, the tool falling back to the floor and her hand coming to her heart, "You scared me!"

Simon didn't look up, "Sorry."

Kaylee immediately got up and walked over to join him in the hammock. "What's wrong, honey?"

He sighed and leaned back. Kaylee followed, laying her head on his chest. His arms automatically went around her. Simon took a deep breath, "River and Jayne are having sex."

Kaylee was quiet for a moment, "Like right now or like, they have a relationship?"

Simon groaned, "Both."

"For how long?"

"The sex, as far as I know, has been for about eight months, the relationship, I don't know, but with Jayne, I don't think those two milestones were very far apart."

"Unlike us." Kaylee teased, "We waited a whole two months."

"Well, yes, but I don't think Jayne had to recover from a gunshot wound to the stomach after he declared his feelings."

"Ya, but they also didn't have a year of denial and general boob-being to make up for!"

Simon couldn't help but laugh at that. He still couldn't figure out how Kaylee could cheer him up so quickly every time. Then he remembered and sighed once again.

"What? Is there more?"

Simon ran a hand over his face, "She's pregnant."

"What!? That's amazing, ooo, there's gonna be a little baby!" She looked up at Simon's face, "Aww, honey, you've had quite a day, haven't you?"

Simon nodded and tugged at the top button of his shirt, trying to get more comfortable.

"Here, let me help you with that," Kaylee said with a mischievous grin. She slowly unbuttoned his shirt, placing kisses on his chest after each button was released.

In no time at all, Simon was completely distracted from River and Jayne. Kaylee was indeed _very_ helpful.

* * *

AN: Sorry, I'm such a tease. I promised you crew reactions, but I forgot I had this scene, which I adore, in here first. Well, with Kaylee you get a partial crew reaction, so I'm not a big ole' liar, I swear! Thank you my lovely reviewers, sparkles and confetti are thrown in your honor.


	5. Chapter 5

**Someone to Watch Over Me**

**PART 5**

Dinnertime came and Kaylee and Simon were the last ones to stumble into the mess. River and Jayne sat next to each other, but not overly close. Kaylee and Simon took their seats and grabbed at the plates being passed around.

Throughout dinner, Simon watched River and Jayne. They didn't say much to each other. In fact, they barely acknowledged the other's existence. If Simon hadn't been there he would never have suspected that anything was going on.

And that's when it hit him, they had been doing this and getting away with it for over eight months.

Simon was suffering from double vision, one image showed him River and Jayne, the two deadliest people on board who went on jobs together, but could barely stand each other. Their arguments after returning from a job were infamous.

They would deconstruct exactly what the other had done wrong: too fast, too slow, too high, too low, too loud, too many bullets wasted, too many dead, not enough unconscious, too many unconscious, not enough dead . . . they always had some problem with what the other had done. No one knew how long they went on with it because eventually everyone would leave them to it.

Simon wondered if all that had just been a show to get some alone time because now the other image was haunting him. The one of Jayne holding her tightly, soothing her and openly admitting his love. His heartfelt promises ran through Simon's mind. Jayne may be a man of few words, but he sure did make them count.

Simon then noticed that Jayne's left hand and River's right were suspiciously both missing from the table. Simon "accidently" dropped his napkin and, stooping to pick it up, he glanced under the table across at the two.

Jayne's hand was resting on River's thigh, higher up than Simon would have wanted it and River's was placed on top of his, gently stroking his knuckles. Simon sat up and was hit with a large dose of double vision. He knew their hands were still under the table, but he watched as River asked Jayne repeatedly for the rolls and was ignored.

It wasn't until Mal ordered Jayne to "Just give her the damn bread," that Jayne sighed and grabbed the basket. Shoving them at her, he grunted in response to her sarcastic "Thank you ever so much," and the table went back to normal.

Simon wondered why they were keeping up the act when he knew they planned on telling everyone about them at the end of dinner. What he didn't realize was that River and Jayne were 

so used to their act that they did it without even thinking about it.

Right now, River was paying much more attention to Jayne's hand squeezing her thigh than to whatever silly roll nonsense was coming out of her mouth.

Simon waited until Zoe got up to start clearing away dishes for River or Jayne to start talking. Now, he couldn't wait any longer, "Hold on, Zoe, I have an announcement."

Zoe raised an eyebrow, but sat back down. Simon looked over at River pointedly.

She sighed, "Actually, I have one."

The table's focus shifted to River as she took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

The table sat looking at her in silence, waiting for the "just kidding" and a wide smile.

Neither came, instead she continued with, "Simon and I determined that I am about four and a half months along."

Mal, not able to think of anything to say looked around at the others. He grew suspicious when he saw that only Inara and Zoe shared his look of shock. "Wait, how many of you knew already?"

Simon said, "Well, obviously I knew, and I told Kaylee this afternoon."

Mal looked at Jayne, waiting for his explanation. When Jayne refused to meet his eyes, a terrible thought formed in his head and he sharply asked, "Who's the father?"

Mal's glare hardened as River placed a hand on Jayne's shoulder. Placing his own on top of hers, Jayne gave it a little squeeze and looked up to squarely meet Mal's gaze. "I am."

Mal stood up, but so did River and she was the one who spoke first, "Don't you dare throw anger at my baby's father." Mal choked. "He has done nothing wrong, he has already promised Simon he will always take care of the baby."

"What about taking care of you?" Zoe asked, her anger a quieter, less in your face kind than Mal's.

Jayne's fist slammed into the table, "Gorramit, can't a one of you remember that she can take care of herself? No wonder you can't let her grow up, if you all think she needs to be protected and shielded from a world she is more'n capable of takin' on. Her strength's the most beautiful thing 'bout her and not a one of you sees it."

Jayne sat back, drained by his bit of speechifying. He was surprised when River sank into his lap and kissed him, "You see it, and that is more than enough for me."

Jayne smiled and it was that smile that convinced the others. They had never seen one quite like this. It wasn't a leer or a sneer or even his joking smile. It was . . . sweet. Mal shuddered a bit when that word shot through his head.

"I'm surprised –" Inara started.

"Ya, I think there's a lot of that going around," Mal cut her off.

Inara glared a bit, "Yes, but I meant– Jayne, I would expect you of all people to know about protected sex, please tell me you haven't been relying on the woman to do it, it's your responsibility, too."

"I know that, 'Nara, s'one of the first things my pa taught me."

River placed a calming hand on his chest, "Actually, it's my fault, we talked about it and I decided to get the shot, I didn't want to have to deal with something each time." She looked at Jayne with a saucy smile, "Jayne is quite fun to surprise."

"Then what happened? The shot is nearly 100 effective."

"Simon's drugs," she made a face.

"Huh?" Kaylee turned to Simon, he hadn't explained that.

"Yes, I continued to adjust her medication, not knowing she was on the shot, one of them must have reacted, making the shot useless. Unfortunately, she must have gotten pregnant almost immediately so she never did get her period or she would have known it had stopped working."

Everyone had sat back down by now and Mal spoke up, "So that's why you've been eating everything in sight."

Jayne felt River tense up, he quickly tightened his arms around her and said, "You're still drop dead gorgeous." River relaxed back against him with a happy sigh. "And remember you could always kill the mean captain with that big ol' brain of yours."

"True, true," and then she giggled, a giggle so happy it made everyone around the table smile.

"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" Kaylee was back to practically bouncing in her excitement over the baby.

River paused for a moment, "No, it didn't even know it was a baby until I told it, it was."

"Wait, what?" Mal exclaimed, "told it?"

"Yes, apparently River has been talking to it. That's how we found out, she described a voice that she has been hearing for a while now," Simon supplied even though he still had a hard time believing it.

"Yes, I had many theories, Jayne said guardian angel, I thought perhaps a conscience, but baby makes more sense."

"Ya know how odd that sounds?"

"Well, who was the last psychic pregnant woman you met, sir? I'd imagine this is going to be interesting." With that Zoe got up and began clearing the dishes.

The tension broken, the others began to drift away. River's voice suddenly stopped them.

"I would like some volunteers to help Jayne pack."

Mal raised an eyebrow, "Your better judgment finally kick in? You shoving him out after all?"

The identical glares that River and Jayne gave him were thoroughly unnerving. "No, captain, we would like to move in together. I have chosen my room because it will become very difficult to navigate the ladder down to Jayne's bunk. Besides, with Simon practically living with Kaylee, the baby's cries shouldn't wake anyone up in that part of the ship."

Both of Mal's eyebrows shot up at how well thought out it was, "You decided this when? Didn't you just find out?"

"Ya, we found out, but there was plenty of time before dinner," Jayne answered.

Simon gaped, "You mean you talked? I thought you were . . . celebrating."

Simon had sort of come to terms with the fact that they were having sex. After all, the physical result was rather hard to ignore, but he hadn't really thought about the relationship part of their relationship.

"Yes, Simon, we talk. I talk, he listens, he talks, I listen, you all might find us bizarre, but we are rather normal."

"Or what passes for normal on a boat full of crazies. Now who wants to help me move?"

"I will," Kaylee spoke up.

"Thank you, Kaylee. Captain?" River looked at him almost pleadingly.

"Alright, little one, I'll help." River beamed.

Inara stood up and held out her hand to River, "Come on, we can go rearrange your things to make more room for Jayne." River nodded happily and with one more kiss for Jayne, she hopped off his lap and walked off hand in hand with Inara.

"Zoe?"

"I'll finish this up, sir, and be along in a while." Zoe said, rinsing the first plate.

"Ok," and Jayne, Kaylee , and Mal walked off toward Jayne's bunk.

Simon waited by the kitchen counter, Zoe's back was to him, but he knew she was aware of him.

"What do you want, doc?" Zoe tensely asked.

"I, I just wanted to say . . . I'm sorry."

Zoe remained tense as she turned slightly to see Simon over her shoulder, "Ain't one thing I can think of that you need to be apologizing for. Now go help your sister, she's the one who's going to need you." She turned firmly back to the sink.

She waited until he had left the kitchen and gone downstairs before her shoulders slumped and the tears started. She had been off birth control for five months before Wash's death. Once a month, they had gone to Simon for a pregnancy test. Five times they had gone, five times it came back negative, but she was nothing if not stubborn. She had held out hope that it would eventually work . . . it hadn't.

* * *

AN: Ooo, Zoe just had to sneak in there didn't she? I did something different with this fic because Zoe would not go away. I thought I could just write her story into the background, but then I was three chapters into it without one mention of River and Jayne. So, I made it its own story. What that means for you: there is already a completed sequel, but it is very angsty Zoe. To make up for this though, I've also got another sequel that's almost done that is back to Rayne family goodness. I love my readers, thank you for the reviews!


	6. Chapter 6

**Someone to Watch Over Me**

**PART 6**

_Three months later_:

River bent backwards slowly until her palms hit the deck behind her making a bridge of her body. A bridge with a very large speed bump on top. Jayne looked on from a crate, making sure River didn't hurt herself or the baby.

"Huh, where'd that come from?" Mal wondered aloud as he came to stand beside Jayne.

"The very last store we looked in." Jayne grumbled, but looked on in approval at the stretchy leotard and leggings that River was wearing.

"Shopping trip didn't go well?"

"All damn day, in and out of stores."

"Liar."

Mal and Jayne's heads turned to River who was now on her back stretching her legs out in a straddle.

"Hey!"

"You are, you were sad to come back, sad our alone time was up."

"Well, maybe a little bit."

"Plus you liked all the jealous looks."

At that Jayne smirked, "It is nice to have a beautiful young thing on my arm when I'm out and about."

"That wasn't all they were jealous of."

"Yeah? Impressed that you could bag me, huh?"

River rolled her eyes, but didn't deny it, "They were jealous that you got to come into the changing room with me while they had to sit on the uncomfortable chairs the stores provide."

"Really? I bet they turned bright green when they heard you gigglin' away."

Mal swallowed, "You guys were doing that, in public!?"

River sat up calmly, reaching one arm over her head, the other holding it in place, "No, he was tickling me, but you are right, the men outside have dirty minds like you."

"Those guys were havin' dirty thoughts 'bout you?" Jayne scowled.

"Yes, but most also thought about how they'd have to get rid of you first and that would be very hard to do."

"Damn right, it'd be hard." He said, flexing his arm muscles.

River switched arms, "But that wasn't even the best moment."

"Ya, when was that?"

"After the fourth store, when you asked what was next."

"Oh ya, you said we had to get to the ammo store 'cause we needed more rounds for our guns. I could practically hear the other men groaning. It was awesome."

"Plus I promised to buy you a whiskey at lunch for being such a good shopping partner."

"Good stuff, too."

Mal looked on in amusement as he watched this conversation like a tennis match. "Well, I'm glad you all had a good time spending my money."

Jayne glared and growled, "Our money . . . next time I'll let you get shot and then you can make some claim on my cut."

Mal held his hands up quickly. "Hey, hey, I was just joking."

"Ya, so was I." Jayne's scowl said otherwise.

"Come on, I'm done."

Jayne immediately dropped the scowl when he looked down at River. "And?"

"I exercised, I'm sweaty, I need a shower."

"Hell ya, seeya Cap'n."

River took Jayne's hand and pulled him out of the bay.

* * *

AN: No more linear storytelling, the rest of the chapters will go through her pregnancy and then a little bit of baby time before ending. There is a story focused on the baby as it gets older that I've been working on to follow this one. As always, though, I won't post until the whole story is done. Love and virtual cuddles to my reviewers!


	7. Chapter 7

**Someone to Watch Over Me**

AN: River's thoughts to baby: "_italics_", Baby's thoughts to River: _italics_

**PART 7**

One and a half months later River placed a rocking chair in the nursery and proclaimed it finished. She lowered herself into the chair and sighed contentedly.

"Thank you, Bluejay, this is perfect."

"You're welcome, Rivulet." Jayne had spent a month making the chair, he had carefully smoothed the pieces of precious wood and fitted it all together just for her. "How 'bout Charlotte?" He asked continuing the conversation they had been having for days.

River crinkled her nose, "It's pretty, but you would call her Charlie and I would call her Lottie and she would have to develop a dual personality to deal with her crazy parents."

"How 'bout the flower names, Rose, Violet, Posy, Daisy, Jasmine, Lily?"

"_Hmmm, what do you think?_" River asked the baby. She had become very good at directing thoughts to her. In return, the baby became clearer with each passing day of development. River suspected that while the baby's actual words came from River's own brain, the ideas and feelings behind them came from the baby.

_There would be an awful amount of pressure to be flower-like with one of those names, dainty and pretty_.

River smiled, "Sorry, those were vetoed."

"Ya know, most children just have to put up with whatever their parents come up with, they don't get no say in it."

"Wouldn't you have wanted some say?"

Jayne grumbled, "Well, ya, but still, she's bein' picky."

"I think this is a wonderful opportunity. Children find many reasons to hate or be embarrassed by their parents. We have a chance to begin with a good relationship by giving her a name that she likes."

"Fine, it's just weird, and a little unfair."

"Yes, yes, we all know you have name issues. Get over it and come up with some new options."

"I'm out for now."

"Fine, how about these?" River pulled out a tablet from her pocket.

"What have you got there?"

"It's a list of Shakespearian women. Now, Beatrice, Bianca, Cassandra, Celia, Elizabeth, Emilia, Helena, Hermia, Hermione, Isabella, Katherina, Mariana, Rosaline, Viola – "

"Woah, woah, slow down, give a man time to digest. See if any of those is the one he wants to call out a thousand times a day."

"Sorry, but did any pop out at you?"

"I don't like Celia, but I got lost after that, say 'em again."

River repeated the list much more slowly.

"Isabella or Emilia could work."

"Nicknames?"

"Hmm, Izzy, Bella or Em, Emi, Lia."

"Bella means beautiful."

"Bella." River could actually see Jayne's tongue rolling around his mouth as though he could physically taste the name. "What's she got to say on the matter?"

"_Well?_"

_Once again, I am worried about the pressures of living up to my name. What if I am not beautiful?_

"She worries that she will not be beautiful enough to hold that name."

"With us as parents? Oh, she'll be shiny."

River giggled at his confident self-image and then smiled at the compliment for her.

"Isabella sounds awfully high strung, though. Dontcha think?"

"It is a queenly name."

"Ya, that's my point. Emilia, Emi, just kinda sounds more comfortable, like I'd be allowed to associate with my own daughter."

"_Did you hear that?_"

_I heard your thoughts as you heard it, yes. I agree. I would be proud to be his Emi._

River laughed and clapped, "I think we finally got it!"

"Ya, finally. Simon said she could arrive any day now." Jayne crouched down next to River and gently placed a hand on her belly. A moment later, River covered his hand with her own. He looked up at her, a loopy smile on his face.

"I know, I can't believe this is happening either."

"You readin' my thoughts?" He asked even though it didn't bother him if she did.

"No, reading your face, it's my favorite story, you see." She traced her fingertips across his forehead and down his cheek. He reached up and pulled her down for a kiss.

* * *

AN: Awww, see I'm not gonna kill off Jayne, BobtheFrog/Hermione, I'm gonna kill _you _with saccharine fluff. Next chapter, the blessed event!


	8. Chapter 8

**Someone to Watch Over Me**

**PART 8**

Nine months to the day that she was conceived, Emilia Belle Cobb decided to make her grand entrance.

Inara sat next to Kaylee on the couch in the lounge. Mal was pacing back and forth in front of the infirmary doors.

"Mal, would you please sit down, you're making me nervous. Anyone who'd look at you now would think that you were the one getting a daughter today."

Mal stopped wearing a trench in the floor to turn and glare at Inara. "River, _River_, is in there having a _baby_!"

"Didya just realize that, Cap'n? Didn't no one ever explain what happens? What'd you think was growing in there for nine months?"

Two identical smiles looked up at him, causing him to glare some more. When that had no effect, he said, "I'm gonna go on up to Zoe, smartasses."

"Ah, hear that Nara? Cap'n thinks we're smart."

"Well he does like to state the obvious: we're smart, River's having a baby."

Mal gritted his teeth as he walked up the stairs to the sound of giggles.

"Please save me from these _women_. Too damn many on board." He announced as he stepped onto the bridge. If he hadn't been Mal he wouldn't have noticed the way Zoe's hand clutched the armrest and her back stiffened. "Zoe?"

"Yes, sir?" Her voice sounded a little nasal, but it was steady as a rock. That's when Mal knew something was definitely up.

"What's going on?" He crossed over to her side and swiveled the chair towards him. Zoe, as she was trained to do, met his eyes squarely. They were red and puffy. "Zoe?"

She sniffed, "Sorry, sir, I can't protect you from the women, I seem to have turned into one of them." And with that, she lost it, folding in on herself and letting the tears fall.

Mal crouched down next to the chair and placed his hand on her shoulder. He wasn't that bad at dealing with crying women, but this was a crying Zoe which was completely different. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, or what could possibly have set her off like this.

He was surprised when she slid off the chair and leaned into him. He automatically wrapped his arms around her while she gasped against his shoulder. Mal dropped to the side so that he was actually sitting on the floor instead of crouching, which pulled Zoe half into his lap. Instead of resisting Zoe just curled up into him, clutching at his shirt.

"What happened?" Mal finally asked after she had quieted to gentle tears.

"That son of a bitch left me here."

Mal tightened his arms a little, of course that's what this was about, what else could it be about? "He left us all here, we're all standing in the dust with you, you're not alone."

"But he left you here whole. He didn't steal pieces of you and leave the rest here. Serenity's about to get its first child and I can't even stand to go near anyone. They're full of hope and love and happiness and I think, I think he took those things with him. That bastard left me here with hate and despair and emptiness . . . just emptiness."

Zoe was back to great gasping sobs. Mal stroked her back and tried desperately to think of something to say. He was saved by Zoe, who pulled back and wiped her eyes.

"You don't have to say anything. Just . . . don't let the others see me like this, please."

"Don't worry none, they're all downstairs. Besides, there's nothing to be ashamed of. This ain't you being a woman, it's you being a human. I don't know how often you let yourself do this, but know this, I'm always here if you need to do it again. That shoulder to cry on that everyone goes on about? Look at this one, don't it look comfy? I know I'd wanna spill tears and snot all over it. Or, if that one ain't quite up to spec, don't worry, I got another one, see?" He emphasized his point with a goofy little shoulder shimmy.

Zoe looked up into her best friend's face and gave a watery chuckle. "Thank you, Mal."

"Speaking of tears and snot, why don't you go get cleaned up. I'll keep watch up here. Then, I think I'll order you to be on piloting duty all night. Now, don't forget to bitch and moan about what a miser I am, making you work so hard."

Zoe nodded and with a little smile, she went to her bunk to wash up.

--

Emilia's first cries rang out through the whole ship. Inara and Kaylee rushed up to the doorway to see. Simon was over on the side, cleaning the baby up. On the bed, River looked exhausted but happy. Jayne was gazing down at her with wonder. He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

Soon, Simon brought a squirming bundle of pink fluff over to River. He placed Emilia in her arms and Kaylee wept as she watched River hold her daughter for the first time.

"She's beautiful." Jayne breathed, reaching out to run a finger through her downy hair. "She's gonna live up to the name Belle, just you wait."

River was in awe of this tiny creature. "She's perfect. Look at her. Did you know that noses could be so small. And look at her ears!" She exclaimed, gently tapping Emilia on that tiny nose.

"_Welcome to the world."_

River got no response. _"Emi?"_ Nothing.

"Jayne! I can't hear her, something's wrong!"

"You mean in your head?"

"Yes! She's gone, her voice is gone. I can't hear anything coming from her." River looked up at Jayne with big eyes.

Jayne thought hard and fast, "Look, maybe you could only hear her before 'cause she was connected to you."

Simon jumped in, "Yes, didn't you say that some people are easier to read than others?"

"Some have natural defenses." River agreed while trying to hold back her tears.

"Well, maybe she has really, really strong natural defenses." Jayne offered.

"But why would she block _me_ out?"

"Maybe she can't control it. Or she don't know whose thoughts are whose."

River looked back down at Emilia, who was sleeping now, for a long moment. "Maybe. I guess it doesn't have to mean that something is wrong. It's just . . . I've been talking to her for 6 months, that's not something that I can just get used to being gone."

Jayne sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "It'll be ok, darlin'. I bet with you as a mother, she'll be talkin' out loud real soon."

River gratefully leaned into his embrace, but she looked down at her baby girl with a worried look. What if something was wrong? What if the drugs that she had been on at the beginning of the pregnancy had messed her up? River would never forgive herself.

But Jayne was right, there was nothing they could do but wait.

* * *

AN: I knew there was a reason I don't post stories unless I'm done with them. You see, if I hadn't finished this whole story a long time ago you would not be getting an update now because I'm in the middle of writing 3 papers. After this I won't want to look at a Word document for a while. Love you guys, thank you for your fabulous reviews, especially my loyal readers/reviewers!


	9. Chapter 9

**Someone to Watch Over Me**

**PART 9**

River walked into the mess very late one night. Well, it was late planet time, but since the ship had been in the black for the past three weeks, the crew was still on whatever time they wanted to be on. With assigned chores and with just plain being human, the crew generally all went to sleep and woke up around the same time, keeping regular meal times. But without orbiting a sun, night and day became flexible ideas that one could buy into if one felt like it.

"Hey, sweetie, why're you still up? Emi giving you trouble?" Kaylee asked.

"No." River held up the comm unit that Kaylee had altered, making it a baby monitor, "She's almost asleep, quiet. She's always quiet." She mumbled the last bit, but everyone still heard it.

Kaylee jumped up and wrapped an arm around her best friend. "Ah, honey, are you still upset about that?"

River shook her head quickly, "No, no, I love my baby just as she is, I will never try to change her, that's wrong." She sighed, "I just miss my friend that I got to know for 6 months. I just . . . miss my guardian angel."

Kaylee gave River a tight hug, which she returned gratefully.

"So, did you want something?" Mal broke through the sad mood, putting down his cards, and folding the hand to Simon.

"Yes," River pulled herself back together quickly, "I will need help getting Jayne home."

Simon looked up, "I thought he was with friends."

"He was, but now he's too drunk to walk back to the ship without assistance. He's too heavy for me. Would you and Simon come with me?"

"Sure, we'll drag that good-for-nothing back here."

River chose to ignore the dig, "Thank you. Kaylee, would you check in on Emi? She just ate and we shouldn't be gone too long."

"Of course, honey, I'd be happy to."

River handed Kaylee the monitor. "We should go."

"Do you know where he is, mei mei?" River sent Simon one of her looks. "Right, lead the way."

--

Ten minutes later, Simon and Mal stared at the whorehouse with their mouths hanging open while River walked right up to the door and knocked.

"Lil' witch, tell me he ain't in there."

"I thought he was visiting old friends."

"Well, for Jayne, I'm sure this counts, that bastard." Mal would have continued ranting, but at that moment the door opened.

"Can I help you?"

River smiled brightly at the older whore who stood there looking at her curiously. "Hi, I'm River, I'm here to collect my Jayne."

The whore's face cleared and she smiled down at River. "Oh good. I woulda let him sleep it off here, but I'm sure he'd rather his own bed. Come on in, sugar, he's upstairs. These your boys?" She flicked her eyes at the statues that were formerly the Captain and Simon.

"Today they're my mules. I'm certainly not carrying the big lug."

The whore laughed. "Well, then get in here." The woman stepped back into the entryway of the house.

River followed her into the doorway, then turned to look at her statues. "Come on little mules, I want to get back before Emi wakes up." She whistled softly and patted her leg.

Simon scowled, "I am not your pet, River." River just smiled like she knew better and went inside.

Mal looked at Simon, "I don't like this."

"Me either. I don't like where we are and I don't like that Jayne is so drunk. I mean, you've seen him drink, he has an incredibly high tolerance."

Mal was about to respond when they heard another whistle from inside the house. Simon sighed, "Come on, we did say we'd help her."

The two men stepped inside to find River and the older woman waiting at the foot of the stairs.

"This way," River beckoned cheerfully and they all went upstairs and into a large room that looked like it was used for private parties.

In the middle there was a table strewn with dozens of bottles and around it were strewn piles of pillows, lots of women, and Jayne. He was cuddled up and entangled with at least four of the women.

Simon and Mal glanced at River nervously, worried about what was about to happen. Simon wondered if the safe words still worked.

But River just tiptoed over to Jayne. Leaning over one of the women she gave Jayne a gentle kiss. Jayne's eyes fluttered and then opened.

After taking a moment to focus, he asked, "River?"

"Time to go home. I need my teddy bear, can't sleep without it."

Jayne shifted a little. "Join on in, you're all small, it'll be nice and cozy."

"I'd love to join in the snuggle pile, she looks so soft and warm." Simon choked. "But Emi will wake up."

Jayne moaned a bit as he extracted all his limbs from under the whores. He tried to sit up. "Um, my legs still there?"

"Yes."

"Ya sure?"

"Cap'n, Simon, time to do your part."

Simon was trying to figure out how to get around the whores to Jayne when Mal just picked up the one that was in the way and carried her to another pile of pillows where she curled up once more, never waking.

Mal turned around to see Simon's eyes on him, "What?"

"I don't think I would have ever thought of that."

Mal shrugged and they went over and between the two of them they – barely– got Jayne to his feet.

River turned to the older woman, "Tell them that he had a wonderful time. We'll be back in about 6 months. I won't be breast-feeding anymore, I'd love to come and join in the fun."

"That'd be great, hon', and here." She handed River a couple of captures, "He was showing off Emilia earlier, but he asked me to hold onto them so they wouldn't get hurt none. She's 

beautiful."

River beamed, "Thank you."

River gave her a hug and, beckoning to her pack mules, she went downstairs. They all walked back to Serenity, Jayne already passed out again.

--

The next morning, Jayne woke up alone. It took him a moment to realize that he was back on Serenity and something didn't quite add up in his memory. He remembered the party and he remembered the whiskey . . . and the rum. After that nothing.

He abruptly stopped trying to remember or use his brain at all when his head started to throb. He hadn't been this hung over for a long time. He prided himself on his high tolerance, he'd won many a drinking game against people who had underestimated him. So just how much did he drink last night to wake up feeling like this. He groaned.

Then he moaned as the door slid open and light fell across his face. He pulled a pillow over his head to block it out.

He heard a faint 'tsk tsk' sound and knew that River was looking down at him.

"The light is gone now." She whispered.

Jayne cautiously lifted the pillow and was relieved to see that she was telling the truth.

"Here, take these." She continued softly. She reached down and put three painkillers into his hand, then held out a glass of water.

The throbbing in his head got worse as he sat up enough to swallow the pills. As soon as they were down, he collapsed back onto the wonderfully soft mattress.

River rolled her eyes, but looked down fondly at Jayne. "I'm leaving this here." She refilled his water glass and put a pitcher down beside it on the night stand. "When you feel up to it, drink lots, ok?"

"Mhmm," Jayne grunted out, his eyes firmly closed once again. He smiled when he felt River place a soft kiss on his forehead followed by a cool cloth. He loved this woman, no lecture, no torture in his weakened state, just painkillers, water, and a wet cloth.

He heard the door slide open again, but this time the cloth protected his eyes from the light, and he let himself doze as the pills took effect.

River closed their door and walked up the stairs to the mess. When she stepped in the rest of the 

crew looked up at her and she sighed. She went over to Emilia in her high chair and gently pushed Simon out of the way. He was sweet to offer to feed her, but it looked like that last mouthful of carrot-like mashed protein was about to decorate Simon's crisp white shirt.

River sat down and gave Emilia a stern look. The baby looked back at her for a moment before she bravely swallowed the goop in her mouth. River smiled and gave her a kiss before rewarding her with some apple-flavored cereal O's.

Mal couldn't wait any longer and he cleared his throat to get River's attention.

She didn't look up at him, though, choosing to focus her attention on the baby food jar she was closing. After he cleared his throat a second time, River casually remarked, "I have some cough drops if your throat is bothering you, Cap'n."

"Gorramit, you know what's bothering me. I'm bothered that we had to go out in the middle of the night to pick up a falling down drunk Jayne from a _whorehouse_."

"Yes, I know you're bothered, but now you're just being bothersome. What is your point?" River finally looked up at him.

"I think I just made it. Jayne screwed up, what do you want me to do about it?"

Even though he was behind her, River could feel Simon nodding his agreement, willing to back up the captain. The women were watching with some bemusement. Kaylee could barely contain her giggles as she watched Simon take up what she called his 'puffed up' posture, ready to fight for his sister's rights.

Inara blew out a breath of frustration as she saw Mal preparing to protect the honor of the womenfolk once again, whether the women in question wanted him to or not. Zoe began to clear the table and decided that she would not be lending her support to the captain in this fight.

"I got a whole list of vile chores that he could do or I could confiscate his alcohol supply. Seeing as you're the wronged party, what do you want me to do?" Mal looked almost gleeful at the idea of inflicting River-sanctioned punishment on his miserable merc, so he was extremely disappointed by River's response.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Ya, but, nothing?"

River huffed, "Captain, I do not wish to punish Jayne because he did not do anything wrong."

Simon had stayed silent long enough, "Yes he did, he went to a whorehouse, got drunk, and didn't come home."

River just turned and said plainly, "All of which would have been fine, except I don't like to sleep without him. That's my problem, though, not his."

"Ya really ain't worried about Jayne spending the night with all those whores?" Mal had expected a reaction, what he didn't expect was to have Inara and Kaylee both yelling at him while River calmly untied Emilia's bib and wiped her mouth off.

"Cap'n! How can you even imply that? Jayne's been good for a long time now! He'd never hurt River!

"Even if you're thinking it, you certainly don't have to voice every thought that passes through your head, especially to River, and especially not when Emilia is in the room!"

Mal looked down at the table, trying to make it look like he wasn't bowing his head in shame. Simon stopped nodding agreement and pretended that he had never been on the punish-Jayne bandwagon, sitting down next to, but out of the eyeline of, Kaylee.

"Captain." River's voice quieted the other women. She picked up Emilia and put her on her hip, standing up, "I'm sorry that you have trouble trusting people, but I trust Jayne. Even if I didn't, he is at a distinct disadvantage with me being a reader. He is not stupid regardless of your meanspirited comments and he really is devoted in his own way to us."

She turned and started to walk out of the mess, but at the doorway, she paused and turned back. "And _if_ he ever truly makes a mistake, I will be the one to punish him, not you." With a final sniff, she walked out.

Inara hid a grin behind her hand while Kaylee picked up a few dishes and took them over to Zoe at the sink to try to stop her fit of giggles. Zoe was doing the dishes a little too casually for it to be natural.

Mal and Simon just sat there trying to stop the blood from rushing to their faces. Simon recovered first, "Well, I suppose that's the last time I try to get River to go against Jayne. I should have remembered, as a child, she never did like other people messing with her things."

--

Jayne woke up again, feeling much better. His earlier trip to the bathroom followed by drinking most of water in the pitcher River had left had helped a lot with his vastly improved state.

Curious, he wondered what the soft bundle in his arms was. He lifted the now dry cloth and when he looked down he realized that Emilia was cuddled up next to him napping. Jayne stared 

for a long moment, still not quite over the fact that she was _his_. He had never had something be completely his before.

Growing up he had had to share everything, even his own mother, with his four older siblings and his father. All of his guns, while being his now, started out used. He didn't mind that though, because it meant that they all had stories and that he had put effort into earning every single one.

But Emilia, she was all his, bright, shiny, and new. He stroked one finger through her extremely soft hair and bent to kiss her forehead.

The sound of the door sliding open made him look up. River smiled at him and closed the door behind her, coming over to the bed.

"Hi." She whispered. "Feel better?"

"Um hum, much." He replied just as softly.

She bent down and gave him a kiss, "Good."

"How much longer does she have."

"I just put her down a few minutes ago and then went to the bathroom, so we have at least another half an hour."

"Wanna join?"

River smiled and nodded and then crawled up the bed, fitting between the wall and the baby, who squirmed a tiny bit. With a kiss to her cheek, the baby quieted once more.

"How'd I get home?" Now was as good a time as any to fill in the missing pieces of last night.

"Simon and Mal carried you."

"Oh, I'm sure they enjoyed that a whole bunch."

"Mhmm, we are not speaking to them, just to warn you."

"Sounds good to me. What'd they do?"

"They questioned my judgment and my Bluejay. And they did it in front of Emi."

"You'd think they'd know better by now."

"You really would wouldn't you."

"Ya, you'd think they'd get that if I screwed up, you'd be the one that would kick my ass."

River nuzzled into his neck and said sweetly, "Twice."

Sort of The End

* * *

AN: I know this isn't really an ending, exactly. That's because I had to break up the stories, it's now a trilogy! There's this part with pregnant River and baby Emi, then the next story that's all Zoe, angsty with her hitting rock bottom, and finally the conclusion with Emi as a child. Hope you enjoy, I love all of you guys!


End file.
